If it weren’t for the fact that he keeps winning every time, you might be able to convince yourself that UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis isn’t a great fighter.
If you were to go by his looks alone, maybe. If you were to just look at the early parts of his fights, like when he was out there laying into Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305. Or even later, when he was having his ribs tenderized with punches and kicks while he looked like a man who wished he could call a timeout and sit down for a while. Then you’d be forgiven for thinking this guy was far from the best middleweight in the world.
But if you keep watching, sooner or later he will find a way to win. Against Adesanya, the champion needed only a small opening that provided him with a momentary defensive lapse. And though moments before he looked tired and exhausted, reluctantly struggling to get to his feet and fight, when his moment came, du Plessis jumped on Adesanya’s back and tightened the choke to force the submission at the end of the fourth round.
With this, Du Plessis has beaten (almost) everyone who has held the UFC middleweight belt at any point in the past seven years. The only exception is Alex Pereira, who held the belt for less than six months and has since moved up to light heavyweight.
Now, after just eight fights and barely four full years in the UFC, du Plessis has reached the top of the mountain and has stayed at least long enough to take a good look around. At no point has he seemed dominant or invulnerable. At some points, his success doesn’t even seem to make sense. Yet it exists, as bafflingly inevitable as any other paradox in the known universe.
Regardless of what we think of his success or how long it may last, we have to ultimately admit that Du Plessis deserves that title he wears around his waist. If he didn’t, someone would have already beaten him. And at least during his time in the UFC, that simply hasn’t happened. We may not be able to understand how he keeps winning these fights, but maybe we don’t have to. The facts speak for themselves and they are undeniable.
As for what should come next, it’s a little more complicated. Sean Strickland, who had a cup of coffee with the middleweight belt before losing it to du Plessis earlier this year, thinks he should be next on the list. Pereira, who seems to think he could still get down to 185 pounds with the right motivation, He has also hinted at the idea of a comeback.Then there’s Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev, who will meet (or so we’re told) in October, and the winner could have a strong claim to the next title fight.
One thing about being a champion with a habit of tiptoeing into defeat just before soaring to victory is that there is never a shortage of people who believe they could be the ones to finally beat you. Du Plessis is guaranteed plenty of eager challengers. But after successfully defending his title against the most dominant middleweight of the past five years, he at least deserves to have fewer doubters.
Some other notes on UFC 305 from Perth, Australia…
Adesanya says he’s not done and doesn’t need to be done. Yes, he lost, but he looked very good at various points in this fight and clearly can still compete. The question is whether he wants to continue doing so at middleweight, where it might be difficult to get more title shots, or whether it’s worth considering moving up a weight class to follow in Pereira’s footsteps.
Kai Kara-France is once again one of those rare gifts: a flyweight finisher. He needed a win badly after two straight losses, and it didn’t take long for him to get it. Kara-France knocked down Steve Erceg at the end of the first round, finished him seconds later and was already talking about a title shot before the sweat had dried off. He may need something resembling a winning streak first, but he can’t be far from getting it.
Who would have thought that Dan Hooker still had so much strength inside him? Stylistically, Mateusz Gamrot looked like a terrible opponent for “The Hangman.” But even with his face cut up at the end of the first round, Hooker never lost enthusiasm for this battle. Perhaps there is still time for Hooker to make a memorable run to the top of the division.
Things are not looking good for Tai Tuivasa. His loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik marks his fifth straight loss. I know the UFC playbook says you should never cut a heavyweight fighter you like, but at some point a guy has to win a fight… right?
Carlos Prates is a terrifying individual. His opening fight against Li Jingliang had the feel of an exhibition fight from the start, and Prates showed plenty in less than 10 minutes of work. Welterweight, be warned, that’s one left hand you don’t want to see in action.
